Consideration for Animals When Driving

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I just slow down when I see small animals and if I see a deer, I also slow down and drive slowly and they get out of the way. One time I ran over a squirrel in Montana and I felt so bad. He was running around in circles and I was expecting he would run out of the way like all animals do but I didn't react fast enough to stop and I heard a thump. The next day his body was gone so maybe other animals ate it. Seriously, I thought it was illegal to run over animals. I know people do it on accident because I have hit my dog before because she abruptly ran in front of me and I was only going ten MPH on the road. But luckily she was okay but I was very upset that day and I couldn't understand why she would all of a sudden run in front of me. So accidents happen. I think only sociopaths would try and intentionally run over animals because even my parents don't want to do it. I never known an NT who thinks it's okay to try and run over animals.

The driver in that situation could have been just distracted.

However, in many cases I've seen people purposely hit animals, especially "nuisance" ones like mice, rats, possums, raccoons, and squirrels. It's depressing.

I always avoid animals if I can, even if they wouldn't damage my car. My mom does the same. She swerved around a branch because she thought it was a squirrel, and she brakes for mice and even toads. She wait patiently for a tiny frog exodus to cross the road during breeding season.

The only animals we have no sympathy for are gypsy moths and their spawn. I wouldn't kill one in cold blood, but I wouldn't feel remorse if I hit one either. They can strip a whole forest.

I have hit many animals in my car but don't feel good about it. Where I live we have very narrow lanes enclosed by tall stone hedges and animals just dart out in front of your car and there very little you can do to avoid a collision. Once, on my way to work pre-dawn, I hit 21 rabbits. I wasn't exactly happy about it but there was nothing I could have done, apart from walk the 15 miles to work.

On another trip to the same place of work (and on a wider section of road) I saw a cat sat in my lane. I slowed down and swerved to the other side of the road and the bloody thing ran right across the road, under my wheels. I did my best to avoid it but had no chance.

Strangely, in the UK, you do not have to report that you have run over a cat.

"A dog (as well as a goat, horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep and pig) does come within the remit of the Road Traffic Act and is a reportable accident so you are required by law to report it to the police. "

I've taken home a roadkill deer before. It kept me in venison stew for the winter.

Here's is a typical Cornish lane to illustrate my point:

Where i live there is a lot of stray cats, today i was in college and there was a girl who was eating then 3 kittens sat in front of her and wanted some food but she didn't give them any, then the kittens went to a group of girls who were also eating i thought one of them would give them something to eat surprisingly no one gave them any thing, I could see who the kittens were hoping to get some food and tried hard to get the girls attention, I had no money or food and was really upset about this, they just don't understand animals and can sometimes be very cruel it's really sad

It's not uncommon for Autistic people to connect with animals. Some would even say they prefer them over people.